Bau Bau to the Black Sheep
by Kuria Dalmatia
Summary: Haley had every reason to hate Aaron and his job. Even after the divorce, all Aaron had to do was show up and he was hailed as the FBI agent who at least tried. She wasn't expecting to finally forgive him. WARNING: Adult content, violence, non-con
1. Chapter 1

Title: Bau Bau to the Black Sheep

Author: Kuria Dalmatia

Rating: FRM, R (profanity, graphic violence, adult content, sexual situations, non-con with an AU twist at the end)

Pairing: The Hotchners, with a dash of Rossi and Reid.

Summary: Haley had every reason to hate Aaron and his job. Even after the divorce, all Aaron had to do was show up and he was hailed as the FBI agent who at least _tried_. She wasn't expecting to finally forgive him.

Word Count: ~9100

Warnings: Adult content. Seriously.

ARCHIVING: my LJ... anyone else? Please ask first.

SERIES: _Criminal Minds_

Feedback always welcome.

DISCLAIMER: The Mark Gordon Company, ABC Studios and CBS Paramount Network Television own _Criminal Minds. _Salut! I just took them out to play and I promise put them back when I'm done. I'm not making any profit just trying to get these images out of my head.

TIMELINE/SPOILERS: Set during the 4th season, before "Pleasure is My Business".

COMMENTS: I took a few liberties with Jack's age and Haley's background. It's not like there's much to work with anyway, right? This is independent from the _Triggers & Ties_ series. Thanks to Pabzi for the beta and encouragement (as always) and Lady_of_scarlet for the beta and the push on the ending. Any mistakes left are mine.

February/March 2009. Initial outline written on a flight to Amsterdam, sections written on the train between Amsterdam and Maastricht, and finished at home in the States.

***/***

_**"Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness." **_

_**- Carl Jung**_

***/***

It was the third move in twelve months for Haley and Jack, and she was sure Aaron and his little team of expert profilers would have a lot to say about her nomadic tendencies. While she told herself that she didn't care, there was always part of her that wondered just _what_ they thought about her. How much had Aaron really disclosed? Given how little she knew about his team, she wondered if he ever really said anything about her.

Probably not. Aaron had always been a secretive son of a bitch, even before joining the FBI. At first, Haley had thought it romantic that her then-husband would so ferociously guard their private life. As their marriage progressed, she felt stupid for not realizing that he protected everyone else's with the same intensity, even more so with the BAU. Aaron would refer to cases by locations, rarely going in to any detail except for two times when he mentioned the criminals' names.

West Texas. The one in Los Angeles. Shiloh, Virginia. The Dowd Case. Hankel.

The only real information she got was what she could gather on the nightly news or the internet, and even _that_ was limited because of the subject matter and gag orders from the courts. Hell, even if she had wanted to brag, she had never been able to. Perhaps the most humiliating of all was the admiration that was automatically bestowed upon Aaron by people who were supposed to be on _her_ side.

"So, what does the ex do?"

Haley looked up at the middle-aged woman with badly frosted hair. Her nametag read "Belinda" and she plopped her overweight self in the chair across from Haley. It was Parent's Night at the daycare, the closest thing that she had to social networking nowadays.

"How do you know he's an ex?" Haley asked with a laugh to cover her wariness.

"He's not here, honey," Belinda replied. "And you're not wearing a ring."

_Christ! Was everyone a profiler now?_

Belinda held up her left hand and waggled her bare ring finger. "Attorney. Screwed me out of a lot of things except, thankfully, custody." She nodded toward two chubby children. "Brittany and Nathaniel."

"He works for the government," she answered with a dismissive shrug. She really didn't want to go into details, but she didn't necessarily want to alienate. Haley could certainly imply a whole slew of things in order to gain sympathy; that was exactly what she had done in the first two places she and Jack had settled. She'd vilified Aaron thoroughly only to have it come back and bite her in the ass. After all, when Aaron showed up, he was the perfection of the caring, divorced dad who "tried". God, she hated that. She tacked on, "He was never home."

Jack suddenly announced to the class that his father chased down the bad guys and put them in jail. Immediately, he was the most popular kid in the room. He then invited Nathaniel, Brittany, and the other children to play FBI.

Jack, of course, was the unit chief.

Haley pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Oh." Belinda nodded and then added, "One of _those_."

It just wasn't fair.

***/***

There were times when Haley wanted to grab Aaron's gun and shoot him with it. Today was one of them. She seethed as he went in to "Mr. Safety" mode and inspected her new townhome, recommending replacement latches on the windows as well as the deadbolt to the one-car garage. There was a file on the kitchen counter with where the child molesters lived, security companies that he had vetted, the rankings of the schools in the area, and evacuation routes in case a hurricane were to ever hit.

Honestly, a _hurricane_?

The mini-van was next on his little list of to-dos.

Where the hell was _this_ Aaron Hotchner when they were married?

Bastard.

/***/

"That's him, huh?" Belinda asked as she sidled up to Haley in the park. Somehow over the past six weeks, the woman had decided to be her best friend.

Haley wasn't sure about it, but it certainly beat being a loner in a group of very insular women. She wondered why there were no statistics on how bitchy other mothers were and how hard it would be to integrate into a new neighborhood. She wasn't sure how long she'd last in this one.

Still, she grimaced because she knew exactly why Belinda just had to talk to her.

Aaron was in the park with Jack. He looked like he had stepped out of a casual menswear catalogue with his crisply pressed khakis and long-sleeved navy pullover; the ensemble accentuated his athletic build. She supposed Belinda thought he was handsome, but all Haley could see were the dark circles under his eyes, perpetual five o'clock shadow, and the deep lines around his mouth.

Haley hated how Aaron showed up for visitations and instantly, Jack completely forgot about her. Aaron would arrive early on Saturday morning, fix whatever he thought needed fixing without asking her what needed to be done, and then whisk Jack off to some Father-Son adventure that Jack said was the best ever until the next time Aaron showed up.

However, this was one of the rare "family" days that her counselor had insisted on, citing some psychological bullshit about Jack witnessing his parents being nice to each other. She wondered how a soon-to-be-five year old interpreted the forced politeness between them, if Jack picked up on the undercurrents of the "Any of your team get killed this month?" from her and the "Who are you sleeping with now?" from Aaron.

The Washington Redskins jersey was three sizes too big for Jack, but Haley knew that she'd have a hell of a time wrestling the damn thing off of him. Aaron the Hero struck again.

Bastard.

"Yes, that's him," Haley said tiredly.

/***/

Usually, five-year-olds wanted Hot Wheels, Thomas the Tank Engine, dinosaurs, or pirate ship Legos. Those were the toys Haley had purchased for the parties Jack had been invited to.

Jack, however, was very specific in what he wanted for his birthday: Mommy and Daddy together at his party. He timed his request perfectly – during the inevitable standoff between Haley and Aaron at the end of a Father-Son weekend – and he even shed crocodile tears as he asked.

Aaron, of course, promptly turned into a pile of mush, vowing to be there.

"Even if a T-Rex eats your car?" Jack asked.

"Even if a T-Rex eats my car," Aaron repeated with that goofy grin reserved solely for his son as Haley's temper instantly soared. Jack squealed before dashing off to retrieve said dinosaur so that Aaron would know exactly what to look out for.

"How dare you make that kind of promise to him!" she snapped once her son was out of earshot. After all, Aaron had missed Jack's last three birthdays, so why should this one be any different? She could picture it now: Jack would be pensive throughout the whole party, making a terrible scene when Aaron inevitably didn't show. Haley would be unable to hide her fury, which would, of course, earn the wrath of the other mothers there. Aaron was the FBI agent "who at least _tries"_ so somehow that made him infallible in their eyes.

Aaron's expression immediately went stony, his shoulders squaring and words clipped with the edge of _How dare you question me?_ "I'll be there."

Haley supposed she should be intimidated by him, but she crossed her arms. "I'm not covering your ass if you miss it."

"I'm not expecting you to."

Aaron's coda of 'because you never did in the past' was left unspoken as was Haley's 'fuck you too, Aaron.'

/***/

Sixteen screaming four-, five- and six year olds raced around the park's playground, which had been festooned with balloons and streamers. Ten moms – all but two divorced – were stationed along the perimeter in clumps of two. The two fathers took refuge by the charcoal grill, insisting that it was only proper for them to help out with the hot dogs and hamburgers. The only reason they where there, Haley was sure, was part of the petty one-upmanship of "see? My husband is here and it's not even his kid!" that the two married women like to play with the divorced women.

Christ, it really felt like she was back in high school sometimes.

The party had started at noon and was supposed to end at two-thirty; non-stop, fun-filled was the goal. However, the kids had already terrorized Chuckles the Clown and forced Cowboy Larry to a hasty retreat after only thirty minutes of his hour long act. Now, it was almost two fifteen and Aaron was a still no show.

Jack's happy mood had started to deteriorate at the one forty-five mark, and Haley knew she'd have a full blown "why isn't daddy here?" meltdown precisely at two-thirty. Jack had a watch now, courtesy of Aaron's team who had sent the gift along with Aaron's three days before the party. It was the first time they had sent Jack something since he was born.

God, she hated them.

Predictably, Jack refused to open the one from Aaron until he arrived. Haley wondered how many times she would have to dust the damn thing before her ex deigned to show himself.

Bastard.

That was when she heard the sharp crunch that gravel made when a vehicle stopped too sharply. She looked over to the parking lot, which was only 50 yards from the playground area, and spotted the black SUV.

At least the son of a bitch didn't have the lights and siren on to announce his heroic arrival. If he had, Haley would have grabbed his gun, shot him and then happily pleaded to temporary insanity.

She watched as the passenger front door opened and Aaron stumbled out. Haley began marching over toward him, because if he dared show up here covered in blood…

No.

Aaron was just… disheveled. It made her stop in her tracks.

Wrinkled blue dress shirt and the sleeves haphazardly rolled up to mid-forearm. Top button open. No tie. No suit coat. Service weapon on one hip, cell phone on the other. He closed the door, checking his watch. She watched as he quickly surveyed pack of children, obviously searching for his own.

Aaron closed his eyes. His shoulders slumped slightly. He scrubbed his face with both hands. The show of emotion was brief but it was enough for Haley to know that he had come off a bad case, more than likely involving children. Seven years ago, he would have murmured something like "Mammoth Cave" as an explanation and Haley would have rushed to console him.

Now, she was just furious. It wasn't fair.

Jack wouldn't remember that his father was fifteen minutes shy of missing the entire birthday party. No, he'd just remember daddy arriving at the last minute and never acknowledge all the hard work Haley had done to make the damn party happen in the first place.

"Daddy!" Jack's joyous squeal put her teeth on edge.

She turned as her boy raced through the crowd at full tilt. Aaron had gotten over to the grassy area and dropped to his knees, arms outstretched, just as Jack tackled him. Aaron gave him the full, "holy shit I'm freaked out" hug, holding on for just a bit too long.

Haley's mouth almost dropped open when she noticed Reid was getting out of the driver's side. _Aaron let Reid drive? What the hell?_ Rossi then exited from the rear passenger side and leaned against the closed door. He looked like he could barf at any moment. She hoped he did. Profusely. She never liked that pompous bastard.

Of course, Jack's yelling had garnered the attention of everyone. Haley swore if she heard an "aaawwww… how touching" from any of the parents, she'd go on a rampage.

"This is my daddy!" Jack announced and Aaron gave a wave as he stood up, his 'friendly' face slipping in to place. Jack turned toward the SUV and let out another gleeful yell. "Uncle Dave!" and he charged towards the older agent, who had the grace to give an apologetic half-shrug to Haley before stepping in front of the vehicle and bending down to give the boy a hug. "Come _on!_ Cake and ice cream!"

Rossi raised an eyebrow at Aaron, as if to ask permission, which was definitely a new twist on that particular relationship. It used to be Rossi who called all the shots. The older man and Jack began walking towards Aaron, who then motioned towards Reid. Reid clearly wanted to dive back in the SUV and leave.

When Jack saw Reid, his little body shook with excitement usually reserved for an episode of _Thomas the Tank Engine_. "Uncle Spencer!" he shouted, dragging out the syllables impossibly long. A look of absolute panic flittered across Reid's face as Jack tore off in his direction. Halfway there, Jack turned to the rest of his friends, pointed toward Reid, and proclaimed, "He's a _magician!_"

A chorus of "wow", "cool", and "awesome" came from the pack of kids who had now surged forward, their eyes wide with excitement. Haley forced herself not to glower. Chuckles the Clown and Cowboy Larry, the two top child entertainers costing a small fortune to book them both on the same day, had been outshone by a snot-nosed geek who had the social skills of a table lamp.

It just wasn't fair.

/***/

Haley had truly been stunned when Aaron showed up at her townhouse precisely at 6:30 the night of the school's Open House. Sure, she'd emailed him about it but never expected him to actually be there.

Jack, of course, had been beside himself with glee.

It angered her to no end that all Aaron had to do was make an appearance and he was hailed a hero. And if she heard one more time that "well, at least he _tries_", she was going to go postal on those bitchy divorced mothers. They had _no_ idea. None at all.

Well, except for Belinda. They had little in common besides the obvious "divorced moms with kids", but she seemed to understand exactly how Haley felt without Haley having to say a word. At least she had one person on her side.

It had been Belinda who had suggested the small Catholic grade school that included a kindergarten. "The ex is a behaviorist, huh?" she had asked one morning before handing over the pamphlet. She never referred to Aaron by name and funny, they didn't talk much about their respective former husbands. "Look, I don't know what your religious feelings are, but St. Peter's a good school with smaller classes. So Jack has to go to church once a week. It's not all that bad."

Haley had burst out laughing when she saw the full name of the school: St. Peter in Chains. She had wished she could have been there when Aaron read the email, especially since he detested parochial schools.

Now, she and Aaron sat in a brightly decorated classroom as Ms. Beasley, the kindergarten teacher who looked barely out of high school, chirped through her half-day curriculum; the children were off in the gymnasium. When Beasley got to the part about teaching Latin to the students, Haley automatically rolled her eyes because the girl was so enthusiastic about it.

"Talk about a dead language," she found herself muttering.

"Latin is the basis for modern romance languages," Aaron replied quietly with that barest quirk of a smile. He did have a sense of humor, but it was sharp and sophisticated. At one time, Haley had thought that was one of the most endearing things about him.

"You didn't swap brains with Reid by any chance, did you?" she teased, unable to stop herself from slipping in to their familiar, if long forgotten, bantering.

"No, but I was thinking that Jack could maybe translate the menu at Mama Bianchi's."

"What? Your minions on speed dial won't do that for you?"

Aaron's lips thinned. "They are not my minions, Haley."

Oh right. She could get away with one snipe at his precious team but a second time wasn't allowed. She crossed her arms and shifted away from him. Still, she hissed, "It was a joke, Aaron."

They sat in stony silence for the rest of Ms. Beasley's presentation. It only lasted thirty minutes.

When the parents and children rejoined in the cafeteria for the closing Ice Cream Social, Jack made a beeline for Aaron, with two new friends in tow. The other children's parents wandered over as well.

"This is my dad," Jack announced with pride. "He's an FBI. He chases down bad guys and puts them in jail."

There was, of course, no introduction for Haley and that humiliation never went away.

***/***

There was a time when Haley adored school plays. She had auditioned for every one she could while growing up and was a theater major in college. Now, she could live the rest of her life without ever attending a school production, even if her only son had won the coveted role of Stable Boy Number One in St. Peter's Christmas pageant.

She sat in the seventh row with an aisle seat, dutifully wielding the camcorder so that she could send really bad footage to Jack's grandparents and, if she was feeling particularly generous, Aaron. He'd made yet another promise to Jack to be here, another one she was sure he was going to break.

Jack had been devastated about Halloween, even more so when Aaron failed to show for the school's Thanksgiving Festival. Jack had been inconsolable both times, making Haley frazzled, embarrassed, and furious.

It simply wasn't fair.

St. Peter's didn't have an auditorium – although there was a massive fundraising effort to build one – so all the productions were held in the gym. It meant bad lighting, horrific acoustics, uncomfortable metal chairs, and large creaking doors that announced whoever tried to enter or escape. Tonight, it was relatively crowded since the play featured students from every grade.

It was close to when Jack was supposed to make his appearance: right after the birth of Christ and before the appearance of the Magi. Jack had insisted on practicing his entrance and his single line, which meant that Haley knew the dialogue better than any of the kids on stage. Her son's attitude was a combination of Aaron's determination to be the best and Haley's perfectionism when it came to performances.

A bit of commotion erupted in the back; Haley wondered which parents were trying to escape. The doors opened and closed, metal chairs scraped on the floor, and a tidal of whispers surged from the back.

"It's that FBI agent. Hitcher or something."

Haley almost threw the camera down on the floor.

"Oh my! What happened to him?"

She closed her eyes, willing her temper to even. She dared to turn to see what kind of mess he was in.

And blinked.

Aaron, still clad in his overcoat, was slouched in one of the chairs on the aisle. Crutches gripped in his right hand. Left foot in some kind of boot. Left hand partially wrapped in white. A bandage just above his left eye. His gaze was focused on the stage, lips pursed. She knew he was praying fervently he hadn't missed Jack's part.

Reid hovered behind him like a nervous nurse, proof positive that the skinny geek was willing to do anything for his boss. When he met Haley's stare, he offered that tight little smile – the "holy crap don't kill me" one followed by a half-wave and him rocking back on his heels. She didn't return the gesture. Instead, Haley faced forward, adjusted the camera's focus, and forced herself not to scream in frustration.

The moment finally came. Jack led the other stable boys out, his expression a dead on imitation of his father at his most determined. Still, her son couldn't resist glancing out in the crowd, hope spreading across his face. Haley waved like any good mother was supposed to, but Jack didn't even see her. His eyes widened and he struggled not to bounce.

Obviously, he spotted Aaron.

The rejection stung.

Then, Jack marched up to Mary, Joseph and the plastic doll and declared in a loud, strong voice, "Behold Baby Jesus."

The children started to sing an abbreviated, off key version of "Go Tell it on the Mountain". Haley changed the lyrics in her head from "that Jesus Christ is born!" to "that Aaron Hotchner's here!" because _that_ is what it felt like.

All hail the mighty Hotch. Battered and bruised, he still showed up.

Bastard.

***/***

It was the first time in four years that Haley had step foot in the BAU; she willed herself not to be nervous, because she knew Aaron's little team already hated her and she wasn't going to change that at all. She also knew that they would force themselves to be polite so not to upset Jack, who had a death grip on her hand since they had gotten out of the minivan. Gone was the excitement of getting to see where Daddy worked and spending the extra time with him; instead, the boy seemed almost afraid.

Well. _That_ was interesting. Haley wanted to reassure Jack that it was going to be okay, but the hostility towards what this place represented and the dread of confronting Aaron's "family" shut down any attempt to do so. It even threatened to dampen her exuberance over the next few days.

Her new beau had surprised her with a weekend skiing trip that conveniently coincided with Aaron's monthly visitation. Haley hadn't given her ex all the details, just that she was going out of town and she needed to drop Jack off on Friday. He'd accepted after a bit of needling from her and (after a little prompting from her) Jack begging to see Daddy's office.

As she and Jack stepped off the elevator, he suddenly clung to her leg. Great. Just what she needed. Her son to go positively spastic and the BAU blame her for it. She bent down, breaking his grip as she did so. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

Jack threw his arms around her neck and buried his face against her. The weekend bag swung awkwardly. That, combined with the force that her son hit her with and that she was wearing tight jeans and high-heeled boots, caused her to ungracefully fall on her ass.

She glanced around, hoping no one saw, as humiliation welled up.

"Don't go," he whispered.

"Don't you want to spend time with Daddy?"

Reluctantly, "Yes."

She struggled to get to her knees so she looked less stupid. She stroked Jack's hair. "You've been talking about it all week."

Belligerent now. "So?"

"Well, you're here." _Please don't suddenly decide to have separation issues again._ "It's your weekend with Daddy."

He pulled back, looking at her with tear-filled eyes. "Don't go."

The elevator behind them dinged and Haley knew she had to get them out of the walkway and to Aaron's office. Jack wasn't going to make it easy.

"… the consult in Birmingham should…" Aaron's voice tapered off. She didn't have to glance over her shoulder to know the expression on his face or that he was probably checking his watch and noticing she was almost a half-hour early. "There's my Jack!" he said warmly, but his tone easily conveyed, _Why is he upset?_ "Good afternoon, Haley."

"Aaron," she acknowledged as she glanced over her shoulder. Rossi was beside him, with that particular glint in his eyes as he took in the scene. Just great.

"Are you ready for the weekend, Jack?" Aaron asked as he bent down, handing a stack of folders to the older man as he did. Jack looked at him, but the joy that usually poured forth from him was nowhere to be found.

Jack only nodded and before tightening his grip on Haley. "Don't go."

"Why don't you want Mommy to leave?" Aaron asked gently.

"Daniel is smelly."

Haley forced herself not to wince. She hadn't expected that part to be revealed just yet. Usually, Jack was so excited about seeing Daddy that it overrode everything else.

"Daniel?" This was from Rossi. She glared at him but he was typically unrepentant.

"Mommy's _friend_," the last word spat out as Jack gripped her tighter.

"Can we _not_ discuss my personal life for the benefit of your coworkers?" Haley hissed at Aaron, willing him to show a little courtesy. After all, she'd been more than generous introducing him to half the school the night of the Christmas play. Hell, that night she'd even acknowledged Reid with a certain (faked) fondness.

Aaron opened his arms and Jack suddenly flung himself into them. "I don't like Daniel."

"Well, your mommy does," Aaron replied smoothly. "And that's important to her. Just like us spending time together is important."

Jack mulled it for a few seconds before saying, "But he's smelly."

Aaron had the grace not to laugh.

"C'mon, kiddo." Rossi ruffled Jack's hair. "Your dad has a whole mess of Hot Wheels in his office that need to be eaten by dinosaurs."

There was a long pause as Jack clearly debated on which was more important: begging his mother not to leave or the lure of toys. He favored Rossi a look before venturing, "Will Uncle Spencer play, too? He makes cars go 'way real awesome."

"Hey, Reid!" Rossi boomed. "Command performance in Hotch's office, pronto. You've got cars to save from a T-Rex."

Suddenly, Jack's gloominess dissipated and he grabbed Rossi's hand. "Okay." He looked at Haley once more before saying, "Bye, Mommy" and then tugging insistently on Rossi. "I'm the dino!"

"Of course you are, kiddo."

With their son gone, Haley and Aaron stood. His gaze was intense but unreadable. It was the one she hated the most. Aaron then asked quietly, his tone genuine, "Are you happy?"

Surprise made her eyes narrow. She handed him Jack's overnight bag. Maybe he had someone else as well. Cautiously, "Yes."

He nodded. "Do you want me to drop Jack off or would you like to pick him up?"

"You can drop him off." There was no way she wanted Daniel to meet Aaron, at least not right now. "I should be back on Sunday by five."

"Do you have a number where I can reach you? Besides your cell phone?" He didn't add, _Because I always leave several contact numbers with you, including an itinerary_.

It was still a bit too much for her. "Your concern is nice, but I'll be fine, Aaron."

"Does your sister know where you can be reached?" The unspoken _Just in case_ lingered behind his words.

She huffed and rolled her eyes, because clearly he wasn't going to give up on the issue. Haley hadn't given all that much information to Jessica either because she didn't want this new boyfriend to be dissected like the others had been. Still, "Yes."

His smile was forced, but still he said, "I hope you have a good time this weekend."

"I hope you do as well."

***/***


	2. Chapter 2

***/***

Daniel Soames was refreshingly _ordinary_. Ordinary height. Ordinary weight. Ordinary build. Ordinary looks. Ordinary job. Haley supposed he could blend in with a crowd and never be noticed. She was surprised that she was attracted to such an average man, one that she would have never given the time of day to while in high school or college.

It was such a nice change. Aaron had pursued her with a dogged determination - he seriously had been the worst Fourth Pirate in the history of the _Pirates of Penzance_ - but he had always been so confident and secure about himself. Aaron could have his pick of girls, but stayed loyal to her... except for that whole thing with Kate Joyner. Haley had gotten him back for that, though, in the end.

Daniel alternated from self-assured to a nervous wreck; she often wondered where he had found the courage to ask her out in the first place.

He never made promises to be perfect and perhaps that was part of the allure. The first time they had sex had been disastrous, but Haley had managed not to laugh. She didn't really tease him about anything else - and there were lots of things she could pick on - and he seemed to appreciate it; in turn, he worshiped her like she was a goddess.

It was nice to be the center of someone's universe, even if she knew it wasn't going to be a long-term thing.

Daniel was waiting for her at her townhouse, and she couldn't help the broad grin that spread across her face. She parked the minivan inside the garage and bounced out to meet him. God, she felt like a teenager again.

"Hello there, handsome!" she called and kissed him full on the lips for all the neighbors to see.

"Er... Hi," Daniel said, looking around with embarrassment. Clearly, he wasn't expecting her joyous mood.

"I just have to pick up my bag inside and then, viola!" She tapped the tip of his nose. "You. Me. The weekend. You _do_ remember I don't ski, so no making fun of me!"

He laughed a little. "I don't ski either."

That made her pause - he hadn't mentioned that before - but she still grinned merrily. "Then we can learn together! Massanutten awaits!"

Haley quickly went inside, checking that the back and front doors were locked. She set the thermostat and grabbed her weekender. She retrieved her purse from the minivan and then hit the garage door button, dashing out as the door closed.

She couldn't help but giggle. "I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this!"

Daniel's lips curved up. "Neither can I." She handed him her weekender and he seemed genuinely surprised that she had only one piece of luggage. "That's it?"

"I travel light."

"And the ex... didn't give you any problems? No third-degree or anything?"

"All he knows is that I'm going away for the weekend," she said triumphantly, unsure why she was so pleased. "It's none of his business, Daniel. If there's a problem," she patted her jeans pocket, "he can call my cell phone."

***/***

Haley knew she shouldn't have had that third glass of wine. She was more than a little tipsy and whenever that happened, she was careless with her words. God knows Aaron had learned early on to be wary when she had had just a bit too much.

Daniel? Well...

Daniel had tried so hard, starting with the little cabin on the edge of the Shenandoah National Park. However, it smelled musty and was run down just enough that it didn't qualify as romantically quaint.

Haley hadn't minded because, well, at least he'd followed through on the whole "weekend together". The cabin was quiet and away from the crowded ski lodges of Massanutten; Daniel had proudly declared it was ten miles from what passed for civilization in this part of Virginia. Her cell phone couldn't make up its mind whether she had service or not.

She didn't care.

Friday night had been a mess, from dinner at the diner to Daniel skittish about the state of the cabin. She assured him everything was okay even when sex had been... well... less than satisfying. It hadn't been the first time she'd faked her pleasure.

On Saturday morning, Daniel had burned the bacon, overcooked the eggs, and brewed watery coffee. No one had ever tried so hard with such pathetic results to impress her; it had been charming instead of annoying.

It felt good.

Their attempt at skiing had gone much the same way as breakfast: a comedy of errors. While Haley had gotten the hang of it rather quickly, Daniel had been a mess. He had reminded her of a newborn colt, all wobbly. She hadn't laughed once, just kept reassuring him. Not everyone was built for skiing. She had even said that they didn't have to ski; they could snowshoe instead.

Daniel had refused.

And when the frat boys had made fun of him, she had immediately come to his defense by delivering scathing comments about their sexual proclivities.

Haley Hotchner knew how to defend her man, although she never had to with Aaron. Well, not like that.

Daniel had finally given up around 3 p.m. and they had headed back to the cabin. She had tried to lighten the mood by having them shower together, but the hot water had run out while she still had soap in her hair. They had attempted to have sex again and it had been slightly more successful. Daniel didn't have any lasting power and she had to coach him on just how to touch her.

Afterwards, Daniel decided to build a fire. However, the wood was damp and refused to burn without a healthy dose of kerosene. Once they got the flame going, Daniel realized that the flue hadn't been opened, so smoke poured into the cabin and they had to open the doors and windows to clear the room. The evening culminated by Daniel trying to broil steaks, roast potatoes, and serve bagged salad.

The only thing palatable about the meal had been the wine, and even that was suspect.

She could see how stressed the whole thing had made Daniel. Haley tried a few times to assure him that it was the thought that counted even if the results weren't ideal, but he would hear none of it.

"Will you just lighten up?" she finally asked as she swirled the wine in her glass. She watched as he paced in front of the fireplace, wringing his hands. "It's okay." Daniel stopped in mid-stride and fixed her with a stare. She couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up. "Shit happens, Danny Boy."

"_Don't_ call me Danny Boy."

"Ooohh. Okay." She rolled her eyes as another snicker escaped from her. "I'm just saying that..."

"You're laughing at me."

"What? No! I'm laughing _with_ you!" Haley told him as she stood up. "You have to admit this is pretty funny. I mean. Murphy's Law strikes!"

"And that's amusing to you," Daniel's voice became hard. "Just like last night. Just like today."

"Today? So you can't ski. No big deal!"

"It's supposed to be a skiing trip."

"It's _supposed_ to be a weekend _together_. Really, Daniel. The moment I saw this place, I knew you had something other than skiing on your mind."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Quiet cabin? In the middle of nowhere? It's romantic albeit a bit too... rustic, perhaps?"

"It's not good enough for you."

She took a step backward, the mood change penetrating the warm buzz of the alcohol. "Wait one second. I didn't say that. It's just that this whole thing is supposed to be about us spending time together. Skiing? I could care less. I'm with you."

"A pathetic loser."

"Daniel. Please. I don't date losers." Or so she thought. At least it was Saturday evening and they were due to leave at noon tomorrow. She could probably talk him into leaving earlier, citing some cozy little restaurant for a late breakfast and a leisurely drive back.

Aaron would drop Jack off precisely at 5 p.m. - he was punctual about that sort of thing - and she would have to hear all about Jack's adventures. Funny, she was actually looking forward to it. She'd then invite Belinda and her kids over for dinner and would regale her with stories of the weekend as their children played. Belinda would be laughing her ass off over the whole thing. _From Stud to Dud_, she would say.

Still, Haley knew she had to salvage the evening. "Daniel. Listen. Nothing is perfect. Nothing in my life has ever been perfect. But you tried. You honestly tried and that's more than I can say about a lot of people."

"Your ex would have made it perfect," said with such jealous petulance it was comical.

She barked out a laugh. "Aaron? Good Lord, Daniel. He wouldn't have even _made_ it this far! His work would have called thirty minutes after he left the office and he would have had to leave." She gave him a lopsided smile. "At least your work is nice. Safe. Like you."

"Boring."

"I didn't say that." She searched for another word and then giggled unexpectedly. The words spilled out. "Ordinary. You're wonderfully, positively, exceptionally ordinary."

Suddenly, he slapped her hard across the face, her wine glass flying from her hand. The force of the blow caused her to stumble backwards.

"You arrogant bitch."

***/***

Haley had always been in control of who touched her and how. Aaron had been her first, yes, and he had been kind and respectful and all the things that Good Guys were supposed to be. Even her subsequent lovers - the two she had during that brief breakup during her sophomore year in college, the one at the end of her marriage, and the two after the divorce - had always allowed her control.

Never. Ever. Had she been tied to a bed. Forced. Oh God _forced_.

Daniel.

How could she have been so stupid? All the signs had to be there.

Even _her son_ knew that there was something wrong, but Haley had been hell bent on being worshipped.

Jack. Thank God Jack was safe. Thank God.

"It's good, isn't it? Good now. Feel me, Haley. Feel what you do to me."

She had her eyes closed and face turned away. She felt the knife blade slide from under her left breast to her right hip. The son of a bitch had tied her legs to the bedposts as well.

Exposed. Raw. Open.

She'd given up Aaron for this.

Aaron.

Aaron.

"Your ex fuck you like this? This good? This long?"

He wanted praise. Praise for doing this to her. _Play the role, Haley, _she told herself. _Play the role._ "No." Her voice was even. She supposed the next words sounded like a compliment instead of the insult she wanted them to be, "Never like this."

"Oh Haley, Haley, Haley." Daniel spoke her name like an invocation. She felt him climax. She willed herself not to vomit.

After all, Aaron was going to save her.

That's what he did.

Save people.

From freaks like Daniel.

And Aaron was going to save her. Wasn't he?

***/***

Haley sat at the kitchen table, wrists and ankles cuffed to the chair. _He's done this before_, her mind whispered countered by, _Just play the role._

Daniel had left her tied to the bed last night as he slept against her. This morning, he had given her a bath. She had tried to fight him but he smashed her face into the bathroom mirror and then kicked her hard in the stomach. She supposed she was lucky that the only bleeding cut she received was above her left eye.

Left eye. The same place where Aaron had his injury the night of the Christmas play. "The stairs on the fire escape collapsed," had been Reid's quick explanation and Aaron had refused to elaborate. Some things never really changed.

Thank God Jack was safe. Thank God.

She was now dressed in a long-sleeved, knee-length white cotton gown and she was cold. Still, it was Sunday morning. She didn't quite know what time it was but perhaps mid-morning. Only a few more hours. Aaron would be at her townhouse at 5 p.m. and when she was a no-show... well, Aaron was predictable. He'd call her and get no answer. Then, he'd repeat calling at 5-minute intervals.

Probably at the twenty-minute mark, Aaron would call Jessica to find out where she had spent the weekend and then start asking Jack about Mommy's friends. He'd start the calls to the police and hospitals at the thirty-minute mark. When those leads wouldn't pan out, he would break into her home and find the email from Daniel asking her out for the weekend posted on the fridge, complete with a photo of her captor and the details she insisted Daniel tell her.

It was weird the things she automatically did, things that Aaron had relentlessly drilled into her during those first two years he was at the FBI. _Leave a timeline. Leave contact names and numbers. Leave photos. _She had believed it to be paranoia on his part but had given in at his insistence. It had been one less thing to fight about.

The oatmeal was cold and pasty. She didn't fight as Daniel spoon-fed her. She wondered if he spiked it with anything. He only gave her twelve spoonfuls and then offered her a half-cup of tepid water.

"Aren't I good to you?"

"Yes."

"Much better than your ex."

"Yes."

"Tell me how much better."

Haley focused on the corner of the table. Vilifying Aaron was easy; she had done it so many times before. Yet this time, it hurt so much to speak the words and she fought back the tears. What she really wanted to say was: _We made mistakes. We weren't willing to forgive one another. I expected too much out of him and never cut him slack for trying. He made promises because that was what he was supposed to do. Jack was an attempt to save our marriage. Our baby just made it worse. _

Thank God Jack was safe. Thank God.

"He never paid attention to me."

"Not like I do."

"Not like you do."

***/***

When Haley was tied to the bed again, she hadn't resisted. It earned praise. Daniel then forced himself on her and he demanded she tell him how good he was.

Haley did as she was told.

Daniel ranted about how she should have been worshipped by her ex - he never used Aaron's name - and how he was taking much, much better care of her.

Haley agreed with every word.

She had a plan. Simple, yes, but feasible. Daniel's keys were in his jacket pocket. The jacket was by the door. The door had only one lock, a deadbolt that didn't require a key from the inside. The table lamp was right there on the nightstand. She could stun him, grab the keys, open the door, run to the truck, unlock it, get inside, lock the doors, start the engine, and then drive like hell.

Her plan hinged on Daniel's ritual. Each time after he... _forced..._ her, he cleaned her up. She had been compliant since this morning. Maybe he'd give her another bath. She just had to ask him. Play up to his ego. Make him make a mistake.

_My ex never bathed me. But you? You were so wonderful. I enjoyed it so much. Please. I would like that again. It was so good. You make me feel so special_.

Daniel finished with a grunt. He petted her hair. He kissed her breasts. He sat back and admired her.

Haley forced herself to breathe. _Get into character_. Then, she said the words.

Daniel seemed genuinely surprised. He paused. Stared at her. Dared her to, perhaps, flinch.

She didn't. Instead, she repeated, "You make me feel so special."

His smile was wide. He untied her legs.

She didn't move.

He untied her arms.

She let them drop to the mattress. He waited.

She smiled. "You make me feel so special."

He turned.

She grabbed the lamp. She swung hard. The blow connected. She ran. He bellowed. She grabbed his jacket. He grabbed her hair. She swung low, connecting to his thigh. He released her. She got the door open. He tackled her from behind. She fell into the snow.

He punched. She kicked. He hit. She bit. He surged.

She underestimated him. The blow to her head dazed her.

"He's not going to save you," Daniel said, triumph glimmering in his eyes. The cuffs snapped around her wrists.

It wasn't fair.

He pulled her up. She stumbled, the cold suddenly biting her limbs, forcing the fight from her.

Ten miles from the nearest... No cell signal...

He pulled her towards the side of the cabin. She frantically glanced around, willing herself to remember the pristine snow. The glorious colors of late February, even if they were dull brown, silver and white.

Daniel opened a cellar door. He pushed her down the stairs. She tumbled, crying out as she ungracefully hit the wood steps and rolled to a heap at the bottom.

Lights flickered on.

Haley gasped.

Four women. All blonde. All wearing the same type gown she was. All lined up against the wall.

All very dead.

Haley screamed.

***/***

Haley was freezing. Her teeth chattered. Her limbs shook. She alternated from marching in place to crouching down and hugging herself with her right arm in order to keep herself warm. A shackle encircled her left wrist with the chain attached firmly to the wall of cinder blocks. At least the chain was long enough so that she could sit down. That was the only thing that was... tolerable.

Well that and knowing that Jack was completely and utterly safe.

Daniel left the light on. She refused to look at the bodies. Instead, she stared down at the ground... which was carpeted. Who the hell carpeted a cellar?

A psycho.

Aaron probably had some fancy term to describe just what type of lunatic that Daniel was. Reid probably had some fancy statistics on how many like him there were in the United States. Rossi probably had featured them in one of his books.

The door to the cellar opened. She almost called out, but something made her stop.

Daniel then bounded down the stairs.

What happened next was something out of a very bad, very terrifying horror movie.

Daniel introduced her to the corpses. Then, he served them tea.

Haley felt her mind shut down after Daniel had turned on the DVD player and insisted they watch a film together.

A film featuring his victims.

"Don't worry, Haley," Daniel whispered soothingly. "You'll star in the next one."

When he left, he turned the lights off.

***/***

The lights turned on.

Daniel served dinner. He played the DVD again. "You need to prepare for your role, Haley."

The lights turned off.

***/***

The lights turned on.

Daniel... did _that_ to her. He apologized to the other women that he had a new favorite. He played the DVD again. "You need to prepare for your role, Haley."

The lights turned off.

***/***

The lights turned on.

Daniel served breakfast. He played the DVD again. "You need to prepare for your role, Haley."

The lights turned off.

***/***

The lights turned on.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs.

Noise. There was lots of noise.

It was different this time, but Haley didn't know why.

Then. It hit: it was time.

_Oh God, it was time._

When warm hands touched her, she screamed.

She clawed.

She kicked.

She screeched, "I will _never_ be your star."

Shouts followed. Her name was repeated. She balled her fist and punched, surprised when she made contact. She continued, because even if she did have one arm chained to a damn wall, she would still fight back.

"Not your star!" Her voice grew raw as she repeatedly yelled those three words. There was more shouting. She was jostled a bit and then she was swinging at air. If it kept him away, then fine.

"Carrots."

"Not your..."

"Carrots."

"Not..."

"Carrots."

No one called her Carrots. No one. But...

"No."

"Carrots."

Her vision focused. She saw black with thick white lettering. It made no sense except...

"Please the carrots."

She forced herself to look up. Her hand fell to her side.

"Please the carrots." Said so calmly. So forcefully. So intensely. So...

"Aaron."

"Haley."

"Oh God, Aaron."

***/***

The bandages on Haley's left wrist itched, as did the tape securing the IV tube on the top of her right hand. She didn't bother scratching them. She supposed it had something to with what was in the IV. She didn't particularly care.

She was on her side, facing the window. The drapes had been drawn open at her insistence even though it was gray and gloomy. Her feet were curled under her. The plate of peas and carrots sat on the rollaway table. She had no idea why she had insisted on them.

Still. It was quiet, finally.

Finally.

A light yet firm knock broke the silence. It made Haley blink. No one had knocked before. Not the detective. Not the lab technician. Not the photographer. Not the slew of medical staff. Not even her sister, who had barged into the room and had demanded Haley explain exactly what had happened.

Problem was, Haley couldn't quite remember. She hadn't been able remember when the detective talked to her. When the lab technician had talked to her. When the nurse had talked to her. When the doctors had talked to her. When her sister had… well...

Jessica had been furious, cursing and yelling and finishing with "Oh my God, what do we tell Mom and Dad?"

Haley had screamed at her to leave. One of the orderlies had ushered Jessica out.

No one had talked to her since then. At least she'd accomplished something.

It was quiet, finally.

Finally.

Now. Someone was knocking. Haley glanced over her shoulder and wanted to be surprised. Actually, she was. He had _knocked_. The only person in the whole goddamned place who had the decency to knock. "Aaron."

"May I come in?"

Haley stared. She felt the prick of tears as she nodded.

Aaron entered the room with that measured "I'm not here to start an argument" step of his. His arms were at his sides. He then gestured toward the chair, which was between the bed and the window. "May I sit down?"

So stalwart. So calm. So... Aaron.

Haley bit her lips and focused on the window. She then nodded once. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him walk around the edge of the bed and then sit in the chair. She felt a tear slip down her cheek.

"Are you here to question me?" she asked, surprised how rough her voice was.

"No." His tone was gentle as he added, "But if you want to talk, I'm here to listen."

She rolled her eyes. "You're not even going to say, 'I told you so?'"

There was another pause. He sounded genuinely hurt. "I would never... _could_ never say that to you. Please. Believe that."

That made her look over and meet his gaze. Intense as always but she could see the anger brimming just behind that look of some thing else she didn't want to identify. It definitely wasn't love or pity... kindness? Sympathy? No. She didn't want to know. The anger was definitely, _I'll make that son of a bitch pay for what happened._

She'd seen that look countless times.

She just never knew how to translate it.

She shivered. She blinked.

Aaron was dressed in what she used to call "the uniform": dark suit, crisp shirt, tie, matching pocket kerchief, polished dress shoes... She saw the gun peeking out from the gap of his pinstripe jacket and his white shirt. She knew there was a second one but couldn't remember which ankle he had it strapped to.

She wasn't talking to Aaron. She was talking to Hotch. She had always been able to recognize the difference.

Oh God.

Her mind promptly went blank. She struggled before finally spitting out, "You were the worst Fourth Pirate. Ever."

He snorted, a smile playing across his lips. His expression softened just a bit. "I know."

"You were supposed to say, 'peas and carrots', not 'please the carrots'," Haley chided, wondering where all this was coming from and just why her voice was shaking like it was. "We were stage left and you were supposed to say 'peas and carrots' so the audience thought we were carrying on a conversation."

"I know."

She glanced back out the window. "Troublemaker."

He huffed a laugh. "I know."

She looked down at her bandaged wrist. "I don't remember."

He didn't reply. She inhaled sharply. Everyone else had spouted bullshit about PTSD and stress and trauma, which had been followed immediately by platitudes of how Daniel would never hurt her again, how she was going to be okay, how she was alive and how she should be grateful.

Aaron didn't say any of that. She recalled his words when he first came in, _If you want to talk, I'm here to listen._ It made her think of all those times he was late coming home, that mysterious "one last thing for the case" before he could leave. Haley swallowed hard. "Do you always visit... someone... afterward?"

"Sometimes." Blunt. No elaboration. Typical Aaron. Then again, she supposed she would be screaming at him to leave if he did launch into some explanation.

Yet if Aaron was here… "Where's Jack?" but it was a stupid question.

"Belinda is watching him."

Haley bolted upright, panic making her heart hammer. "What? Why? Why not..." It took a few tries to get her sister's name out. "…Jessica?"

"I don't think Jessica is the best choice right now. Jack needs someone familiar." Aaron then amended, "Someone familiar… and without judgment."

"Belinda _knows_?" Haley knew her voice shrilled.

"She knows that you were injured while on your skiing trip. Nothing more."

"But the press..."

"This has been kept out of the press."

She gasped. She met his look. "How? You can't..."

"This is an ongoing investigation," Aaron interrupted calmly. "Until we have all the details, the press has agreed to hold off." He leaned forward slightly, his forearms resting in his knees and his hands folded in front of him. "This is your story to tell, Haley. And when you're ready to tell it, I'll be here to listen. Not to judge. Never to judge."

Haley squeezed her eyes shut. Suddenly, she blurted. "I hated you."

"I know."

"I didn't understand."

There was a slight pause before he exhaled. "I know."

Haley gasped at the stark honestly. She balled her fists. She could feel the tears pouring down her face. She knew she was shaking. Images flashed in her head. Her body ached in places that she didn't want to think about. Sobs ripped through her as she crumbled against the pillows.

"I understand now." She held her hand out, unsure of just what she wanted.

Aaron's grip was firm. Solid. He gently pulled her to an embrace, her face tucked beneath his chin. Haley could barely hear him over her crying.

"I wish you never had to."

***/ Finis /***


End file.
